Carton



Oct. 10, 1961 ANDREWS 3,003,679

" CARTON Filed D60. 30, 1959 so 2 so 2o 40 22 am I 2! 3| 3h 35535 225555 24 25 26 7 I N V N TOE.

DAV/D B- ANDREWS ATTQENEY$ 3,@03,679 Patented Oct. 10,1961

3,003,679 CARTON David B. Andrews, Neenah, Wis., asslgnor to Americangun Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New ersey Filed Dec. 30,1959, Ser. No. 863,038 r 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-39) This invention relatesto an improvement in cartons, commonly made of paperboard or otherflexible material, and widely used for the packaging of a wide varietyof products, such as frozen and other foods, clothing, and the like.More specifically, the invention is concerned with an improvement inmeans for securely and substantially immovably locking together a pairof opposed panels such as are commonly employed to close the end of acarton of the type referred to. The more specific details and objects ofthe invention will be clear from the following description in connectionwith the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the blank from which a preferred embodimentof the carton of this invention may be made;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, partially cut away, of a carton madefrom the blank of FIGURE 1, showing the end of the canon in an initialstage of closure;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, similar to FIGURE 2, showing a furtherstage in the closure of the end of the carton;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 2, showing the cartonend in completely closed condition; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE4, showing details of the carton locking means.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the carton blank, preferably made ofpaperboard, is suitably cut and scored to provide a series of connectedcarton walls, panels and flaps. The main body of the carton is formed ofa pair of side walls and 11, alternated with a pair of main walls 12 and13, these walls being joined by hinging score lines 14, 15 and 16. Aglue flap 17 is hinged to the free side edge of main wall 13 alonghinging score line 18.

Closure flaps or panels 20, 21, 22 and 23 are respectively connected towalls 10, 12, 11 and 13 along each end edge of those walls by hingingscore lines 24, 25, 26 and 27.

Closure panels 21 have a pair of longitudinally-spaced male members 30formed on their remote free ends. A cut line 31 extends longitudinallyfrom the inner side edge of each of members 30 at the point ofconjunction of members 30 with panels 21, cut lines 31 terminating in aterminal portion 31a extending generally laterflly outwardly of panels21.

A pair of female slits 35, for cooperation with the respective malemember 30, is formed in each of closure panels 23. Each of slits 35 atits laterally outward end terminates in a terminal portion 35a directedgenerally laterally inwardly of panels 23. The female means may alsoinclude, connected with a central portion of each of slits 35, a pair oflaterally outwardly extending slits 36, the function of all of whichwill be explained in detail later herein.

Referring also to FIGURE 2, the blank of FIGURE 1 is in the usual mannerformed into a shell of rectangular cross-section, involving arrangingthe opposed pairs of main walls 12 and 13 perpendicularly to the sidewalls 10 and 11, applying an adhesive to glue flap 17, and adhering thatflap to side wall 10 adjacent its free side edge. Obviously, anysuitable adhesive, or staples or any other suitable means, may beemployed to connect flap 17 to wall 10 to form the rectangular shellshown in FIG- URE2. 7

Referring also to FIGURE 3, closure of the open ends of the carton, onlyone of which is shown, is initiated by first infolding closure flaps 20and 22, then partially infolding panel 23. At this stage of partialinfolding of panel 23, the infolding of panel 21 also is commenced,coupled with a slight convex flexing of panel 23. By suitable timing,and a slight pressure of members 30 on that portion of flap 23 justoutwardly of slit 35, the slits 35 open to receive members 30.

The exact positioning and dimensions of the cut lines and slits, and offlaps 21 and 23, are such that as these flaps are pushed downwardly tolie flatly over the end of the carton, as shown in FIGURE 4, the lockingengagement is accomplished. These dimensions and locations are such thatas this flattening of the panels over the end of the carton isaccomplished, the edges of members 30 along cut lines 31 pass justbeyond slits 35, so that upon a slight relaxation of panels 21 and 23from the flat position, which is natural due to the inherent resiliencyof the carton material, hook portions 32 of members 36 are engagedbeneath panels 23, as shown in somewhat exaggerated form in FIGURE 5.This same resiliency of the board of the carton material is acharacteristic which causes hook portions 32 to be bent inwardly out ofthe plane of panels 21, so that they may be pressed below the plane ofpanels 23 and into the locking engagement shown in FIGURE 5.

Similar predetermined dimensioning is employed, particularly as seen inFIGURES 3 and 4, to produce substantial engagement of the longitudinallyremote edges 46 of members 30 with the outer edges formed by theterminal portions 35a of slits 35. It is this contact, or substantiallyadjacent positioning, which serves to assume that the carton will resistforces tending to collapse it from the rectangular shell position.

As will be clear from FIGURES 2 and 3, longitudinally spaced slits 36extend laterally outwardly from slits 35 to provide weakened or morereadily flexed portions of panels 23, which may be depressed readilymale members 30 to facilitate locking entry or" members 33 into s its35.

Although there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodimentof the invention, it is recognized that certain obvious modificationsthereof may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention.Therefore, limitations thereon are intended only specifically set forthin the appended claims.

I claim: A

1. Locking means for a carton, the canton a pair of opposed panels to belocked together, each panel having a pair of side edges and an end edge,the locking means comprising a pair of male members formed on the endedge of one of said panels, said members having inner and outer sideedges directed generally laterally outwardly from said one panel, saidmembers being longltudinally spaced with respect to each other an eachhaving a hooklike portion formed on its inner side by a cut lineextending from the inner side of the said portion adjacent theconjunction of said member said one panel and directed generallylongitudinally of the panel and having a terminal portion of the cutline directed generally laterally outwardly of said member interme atethe side edges thereof, and female means in th other of said panelsincluding a pair of longitudhraily-directed slits longitudinally-spacedwith respect to each other, the remote end of each of said slits havinga terminal slit portion directed generally laterally inwardly thereof,the longitudinal spacing between said last-mentioned terminal slitportions being substantially equal to the longitudinal spacing betweensaid outer side edges of the male memwam has, said slits definingportions in said other panel adaptable for ready opening of said slitsfor entrance of the male members and consequent engagement of thelocking means, the hook-likelportions in locked position being engagedbeneath said other panel, and said panels'in loelged position beingrestrained from substantial longitudinal e shifting relative to eachother by engagement of the respective laterally directed outer edges ofsaid members with said terminal slit portions. 7

2. Locking means according to claim 1, further including pairs oflongitudinally-spaced cut lines in said other panel extending laterallyoutwardly from an intermediate portion of said slits to provide portionsof said other panel which are readily depressed to facilitate lockingentrance of same members in said slits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,174,605 Palmer e ,,.l, Mar. 7,1916 2,826,296 Mullinix Mar. l1, 1958FOREIGN PATENTS 945,437 Germany July 5, 1956

